The Shadow of a Sin

st-office of the trunk of a grand old oak-tree-a trunk that was covered with ivy; he used to place letters there every day, and Hyacinth would fetch and answer them. T

that he was saying more than he meant, or that he had said the same things before and knew them all by heart. His letters won her. She answered them, a

, she would make the world talk of her. I have read all the poet

as he could remember. Bright-eyed girls had smiled on him, and fair faces grown the fairer for his coming. He had had many loves, but none of them had been in earnest. He liked Hyacinth Vaughan better than any one he had ever met. If her friends had smiled upon him and everything had been co

life, its dull monotony, its dreary gloom, touched his heart. Then, too, his vanity was gratified; he knew that if he took such a peerlessly beautiful girl to London as his wife, she would be one

sue it. Man of the world as he was, the first idea of an elopement startled him; then he became accustomed to it, and began at last to think an elopement would be quite a romance and a sensation. So, by degrees he broke it to her. She was st

thought of remorse came to him-that, as the stronger of the two he was betraying his trust-he quickly put the di

ut he was very anxious, and hoped she would consent. The library window could be seen from the park; he had but to walk across it

o much," he said to himself; "I begin to respe

many hours of suspense must he pass before he knew? The sun was shining gayly, the dew lay on the grass-it wa

future he had offered her. Then again his heart sunk. An elopement! It was such a desperate step; she would surely hesitate before taking it. He walked to the end of the park, and then he return

he raised his Glengarry cap from

d to himself; "now f

o the kind old aunt who had never refused him a favor, asking her, for particular reaso

sh to put under your charge," he wrote; and

the elopement; his aunt should meet them at the station, Hyacinth should

o go; this gray, dull, gloomy life she could bear no longer; and the thought of a long, dull

t behavior; the romance with which she was filled enthralled her. If any one had in plain words pointed out to her that she was ac

. She seemed unable to attend to her work; she read as one who does not under

n at last. "You do not appear to be paying

utiful face fl

quite myself,

sness in young people was, as she said, quite unendurable-she had no sy

find more employment for you. Miss Pinnock called the other day ab

h," thought the girl, "without havin

e tedious hours, no more wearisome lectures, no more dull monotony; after this one day all was to be sunshine, beauty, and warmth. How

ate, Hyacinth; i

er and kissed th

ly with her lips, and in he

quite so harsh with her and as she closed

e my old l